Albuquerque Brain Injury Lawyer
Our traumatic brain injury lawyers in Albuquerque can get you every dollar you deserve
A brain injury can be one of the most catastrophic personal injuries a person can sustain.
If you need a skilled brain injury lawyer in Albuquerque to handle your claim for a TBI or any other type of brain damage caused by someone else’s negligence, Ron Bell Injury Lawyers is here for you. For over 35 years, our attorneys have been dedicated to representing individuals who have suffered serious injuries due to negligence. We are committed to maximizing your compensation by thoroughly investigating your claim, understanding the full extent of your injuries, and holding all responsible parties accountable.
As our client, you can expect personalized service and attention to your case. We will listen to you, provide honest answers to your questions, and ensure you receive the support you need. With our office centrally located in Albuquerque, we can assist you no matter where you are in New Mexico. Our staff is ready and available to help you.
If you’ve experienced a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, call our legal team today for a free case evaluation.
RING THE BELL
Why choose Ron Bell Injury Lawyers for your brain injury claim
A brain injury can affect every aspect of your life; from your job to your relationships with family and friends. If another party caused your brain injury, you can — and should —hold that party accountable for your expenses and other losses.
A brain injury attorney in Albuquerque at Ron Bell Injury Lawyers can explain the strength of your case and help you understand your options for recovering compensation to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. We will review your case for free, and if we believe you have a chance to win, we will handle your claim on a contingency basis. This means you pay us nothing unless we win.
What is a traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
TBI stands for Traumatic Brain Injury. It is an acquired brain injury that occurs as a result of external physical force to the head or body, leading to a disruption in normal brain function. TBIs can result from various causes, and the severity of a TBI can range from mild, commonly known as a concussion, to moderate or severe cases.
Mild traumatic brain injury and concussions
Mild traumatic brain injuries resulting from impacts or jolts to the head are commonly referred to as concussions. They often cause temporary alterations in one’s mental state, including disorientation, headaches, fatigue, changes in sleep patterns, loss of balance, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, and speech difficulties. Loss of consciousness may not occur, or if it does, it typically lasts only a few seconds to a few minutes. Individuals who have experienced a concussion may also encounter sensory symptoms like ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or heightened sensitivity to light and sound. Additionally, they may face challenges such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, and difficulties with attention, concentration, and memory.
Moderate traumatic brain injury
An individual with a moderate traumatic brain injury may exhibit the same signs and symptoms as a concussion, but with more pronounced and severe effects. These may include an extended period of unconsciousness lasting several hours or longer (potentially even a coma). It can also include a persistent or worsening headache, convulsions or seizures, recurring episodes of nausea or vomiting, loss of motor coordination, and the discharge of clear fluids from the nose or ears. Cognitive symptoms may intensify, with extreme confusion, agitation, combative behavior, and slurred speech.
Severe traumatic brain injury
In the case of a severe TBI, hospitalization is highly likely, often accompanied by significant brain swelling and potential complications such as hematoma or stroke—wherein blood accumulates within the skull. Individuals hospitalized with moderate to severe brain injuries are often transferred to a rehabilitation facility for a period of up to three months of inpatient rehabilitation, followed by outpatient rehabilitation treatment. In the most severe cases, a TBI of this nature could be fatal.
Non-Traumatic brain injuries
A non-traumatic brain injury refers to damage or impairment to the brain that is not caused by a physical trauma or external force. Unlike traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which result from blows, jolts, or penetrating injuries to the head, non-traumatic brain injuries occur due to internal factors or medical conditions. These injuries can be caused by events such as stroke, oxygen deprivation (asphyxiation or near-drowning), infections, tumors, seizures, substance abuse, metabolic disorders, or degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Non-traumatic brain injuries can still have significant effects on brain function and may require medical intervention and rehabilitation.
Albuquerque and New Mexico brain injuries statistics
Brain injury sufferers often require weeks or even months of care at University of New Mexico Hospital — the only Level I Trauma Center in New Mexico. This care is usually followed by an extended stay at Lovelace UNM Rehabilitation Hospital, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, or one of the other rehabilitation facilities in the area. The cost of this treatment adds up quickly, easily reaching six figures for many victims long before they get to go home.
Unfortunately, New Mexico hospitals see a lot of brain injuries. In the latest data available, according to reports from the New Mexico Department of Health, there were almost 8,000 emergency department visits related to traumatic brain injuries in 2010 alone.
From 2007 through 2011, about a quarter of all injury-related deaths in the state occurred because of a brain injury. The most common causes of fatal traumatic brain injuries during this time included:
- Firearms;
- Slips and falls;
- Traffic accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck accidents
Together these incidents caused 88 percent of all brain injury deaths in the state during this four-year period. When you consider only brain injuries where the victim survived, 39 percent were the result of a fall, followed closely by motor vehicle accidents.
To help local brain injury victims and their families, New Mexico has various resources available to those living in Albuquerque who suffered this type of injury. This includes the Brain Injury Alliance of New Mexico and the New Mexico Brain Injury Resource Center (NMBIRC), who can help with referrals, advice, and support.
National brain injuries and serious brain injury personal injury cases
According to the CDC, in 2019, there were approximately 223,135 hospitalizations associated with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and 69,473 TBI-related deaths were reported in 2021. This equates to over 611 TBI-related hospitalizations and 190 TBI-related deaths occurring each day. It is important to note that these figures exclude numerous TBIs that receive treatment solely in emergency departments, primary care settings, urgent care facilities, or those that remain untreated.
Damages available in a winning brain injury case
The damages you may be able to collect if you can win an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit for your losses and expenses related to your brain injury will vary based on the severity of your injury and the treatment you required. We cannot give you a value for your case before we investigate and understand the full range of your expenses and losses.
However, we can explain the types of damages available in this type of case. Some of the most common types of damages obtained by brain injury victims in Albuquerque include:
- Medical care and related costs
- Inpatient rehabilitation
- Required therapies, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- Ongoing care costs
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Related out-of-pocket expenses, such as installing ramps at your home
- Pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other emotional damages
If your loved one passed away because of a traumatic brain injury, we might be able to file a wrongful death action on your behalf and help you recover additional damages such as:
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of household services
- Mental anguish
- Other emotional damages
Proving negligence and liability in an Albuquerque brain injury case
Many people try to handle their brain injury claim on their own, but this is not always a good idea. Recovering all available damages requires you to understand complex New Mexico personal injury laws, conduct an investigation and collect evidence, identify the at-fault party, and to prove the at-fault party acted negligently. Albuquerque brain injury attorneys are well-versed in the various aspects of the law and can help ensure that brain injury cases are handled in a manner that will obtain the most compensation possible through a personal injury claim.
For example, imagine your loved one suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in a car accident. To recover the compensation your loved one needs, you would need to collect evidence to:
- Show how the other driver violated a law or otherwise acted carelessly
- Prove this caused the injury
- Document the compensable damages your family member suffered
If you can collect this evidence, you can prove the driver acted negligently and use that evidence to build a case that may allow you to hold that driver accountable for your family’s losses. You may be able to collect this compensation by filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. However, this is a time consuming and stressful process, and you might not receive compensation for the full value of your damages.
Albuquerque brain injury lawyers can manage the legal process on your behalf
When you let us handle your Albuquerque brain injury case, we will take care of this whole process for you. We will investigate your accident and injuries, and help you understand the best way to get the payout you need. Usually, we start by trying to get a fair settlement from the at-fault party’s auto, homeowner, or business liability insurance provider. In many cases, we can negotiate an agreement that covers the full range of your damages without needing to litigate your case.
A brain injury attorney can help recover every dollar you deserve
When we handle an Albuquerque brain injury case, we fight for the full payout our clients deserve based on the evidence we collect when we investigate their case. We can explain the complexities of your case, and help you understand how the laws apply to your claim specifically.
We can take over all communication with the insurance company, filing your claim, and trying to negotiate a fair settlement based on the value of your damages. If this is not possible, we will navigate the legal process for you, filing a personal injury lawsuit and representing you in court.
Talk to a brain and spine injury lawyer in Albuquerque about your case today
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury in Albuquerque because of someone else’s negligence, contact Ron Bell Injury Lawyers today. Our team offers free case reviews and handles these cases on a contingency basis. You owe us no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Call us today for a free consultation. Our legal team is here to help answer any questions you may have.
